You are reading this title and thinking this is an article about mothers feeling sad about the summer coming to an end as the babes go back to school. Actually, that’s not what I meant at all! For me, the end of the summer Mommy blues is the strong desire and urge for my children to return to school!
By the end of the summer, camp is over, school is impending but not quite here. So what does that mean for me and other moms? We have children who are home with their siblings, a lot, and we’ve all had too much together time. If you are a mommy of a young one, like a baby, you probably don’t get this concept yet. I didn’t either. I listened to my friend and neighbor who is a mommy of 5, talk about the end of the summer blues, but I didn’t quite get it until my son started school. Now I get it… I really get it!
For me, my 7 year old and 4 year old are arguing and beating on each other, on the hour. They can only make so many rainbow loom bracelets before they are ready to wrap them around each other’s necks!
I’ve kept them apart, I’ve asked them to play together, I’ve encouraged them to go outside and run , and they’ve written with chalk on the driveway, and the walkway, and the front door…. We even finished 8 books for the Barnes and Noble summer reading club. My next resort, bring a friend into the mix. It tends to elevate the mood and quiet the demons that tell them to scratch and punch each other out. It also offers respite to another suffering mother. I do what I can!
As much as I love the longer daylight hours of summer, being able to run outside barefoot and catching fireflies, all seasons must come to an end… well, at least in New Jersey. So, as I welcome grater structure to our days, and falling leaves and the holidays, I am ready to say good-bye to the summer and my kids going to school! Because, after all, an education is a very important thing for all children, everywhere!
About the Author:
Dr. Liz Matheis is a clinical psychologist and school psychologist in Parsippany, NJ who provides assessment, psychotherapy, consulting, and advocacy for children and families managing autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and learning disabilities (www.psychconsult.weebly.com). She is also a contributor to several popular press magazines.
